First objectives achieved for the SCP of the G5 Sahel

This success was made possible thanks to the generous contributions of Denmark, Japan and the Netherlands.

In response to security challenges of the Sahelo-Saharan area, the Heads of States of the G5 Sahel adopted in November 2015 a regional police cooperation mechanism, called "Security Cooperation Platform" (SCP) supported by UNODC and the European Union. The objective of this Platform is to initiate and foster the exchange of information between the five States of the G5 (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger).

Since January 2018, G5 Sahel countries have exchanged information on the fight against transnational organized crime and terrorism for the first time in a systematic and institutionalized way.

"
The operationalization of the SCP allows, for the first time in this region, to share information on security incidents between law enforcement officers at the national level and between countries at the regional level.This intelligence sharing is part of a structural change in the region enabling to better prevent and better combat cross-border challenges and to foster stability in the long run in the Sahel" explains Mohamed Denna Esseissah,
Commissaire Principal de Police and Regional coordinator of the SCP.

Meeting of experts on mechanisms and norms for information exchange within the SCP, October 2017, Nouakchott, Mauritania

UNODC technical assistance to the Security Cooperation Platform is broad, ranging from drafting legal documents to organizing trainings for staff of national Platforms. Last October, UNODC organized a workshop in collaboration with the G5 Sahel to finalise the institutional mechanism for information exchange and to define its legal framework leading to this positive development.

"
In addition to the relevance of the information exchanged in terms of tactical and strategic analysis, what is striking is the willingness of this exchange and the progressive establishment of confidence between security services of the five States.
It is an important achievementbecause the existence of a minimum of trust is necessary in any project of international police cooperation, not only for the exchange of information and other forms of mutual assistance, but for the life of the project itself and its sustainability" highlights Mr. Mostapha Mouzouni, UNODC's International Expert, who has supported the SCP since its beginning.

Michel Ki, national coordinator of the Burkina Faso SCP, confirms the established trust and underlines the benefits of exchanging information between the national Platforms. "
It is an interactive process, we send data to the regional SCP and we receive in return information on the situation at our borders, allowing us to better prepare and better respond to regional challenges ".

UNODC continues its support to the SCP with staff trainings and activities to strengthen regional cooperation. In the medium term, the second objective of the SCP is to implement bilateral and multilateral joint operations.

These successes were made possible thanks to the direct involvement of the Permanent Secretariat of the G5 Sahel through its Defense and Security Department, the successful participation of the G5 Sahel experts and the ownership of this project by the five States of the region.

"
Thanks to these efforts and to concrete results achieved, the G5 Sahel is considered as a credible and essential player of regional security by major international actors such as the United Nations Security Council and the European Union", stresses Pierre Lapaque, Regional Representative of UNODC for West and Central Africa.

In partnership with the G5 Sahel and the European Union, UNODC is actively involved in the support to the Police component of the G5 Sahel Joint Force, through assistance for its implementation and its integration within the security architecture of the region.

The assistance of UNODC to the G5 Sahel is funded by Denmark, Japan and the Netherlands and is part of the
Sahel Programme. UNODC coordinates its support with the European Union and the German cooperation agency (GIZ) participating also in the support provided to the SCP.